Does Monitoring Change Teacher Pedagogy and Student Outcomes?

Aaron Phipps

Journal of Labor Economics, 2026, vol. 44, issue 3, 789 - 821

Abstract: In theory, monitoring can improve employee motivation and effort, particularly in settings lacking measurable outputs, but research assessing monitoring as a motivator is limited to laboratory settings. To address this gap, I leverage exogenous variation in the presence and intensity of teacher monitoring, in the form of unannounced in-class observations as part of DC public schools’ IMPACT program. As monitoring intensifies, teachers use more individualized teaching and emphasize higher-level learning. When teachers are unmonitored, their students have lower test scores and increased suspensions. This evidence validates monitoring as a potential tool for enhancing teacher pedagogy and employee performance more broadly.

Date: 2026
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